Curtain-fixture.



. Patented Nov. l8, I902. H. E. KEELER.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Application filed May 26, 1902.)

UNITED STATES ATEN FFICE HERBERT E. KEELER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CURTAIN-FIXTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 714,1 10, dated November 18, 1902.

Application filed May 26, 1902. Serial No. 108,898. (No model- Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings annexed to and forming part of the same.

This invention relates to curtain-fixtures,

such as are especially adapted to housed in connection with spring-actuated curtains to hold the curtain in any desired position and in which the curtain is maintained in parallel position as it is raised and lowered, so as to be self-alining.

This application is a continuation of my copending application, Serial No. 97,105, filed March 7, 1902, and is based upon the disclosure of said application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters refer to similar parts in the several figures, Figure 1 shows a fixture of this character applied'to a springactuated, curtain. Fig. 2 is a View, on a larger scale, showing the shoe. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views showing the construction of guide-rolls.

The window-frame A is formed with suitable guideways A, of ordinary construction, by which the free end of the spring-actuated. curtain B is guided. The upper end of this curtain is connected in the usual manner to the spring-roller B of ordinary construction, and the lower end of this curtain carries the tube B, which extends transversely across the free end of the curtain. This curtaintube serves to support the shoes D, which are mounted to reciprocate therein and which are preferably spring-pressed into engagement with the guideways A on either side of the curtain. Each shoe, as is indicated in Fig. 2, comprises the spindle C, which fits loosely within the end of the curtain-tube, so as to guide the shoe accurately as it reciprocates longitudinally of the curtain-tube. The rod B which is secured to the spindle, passes loosely through the stop B secured to the tube, and is provided with a nut or other fastoning device at its free end. The spring B acts between the stop B and the end of the spindle, so as to constantly force the shoe outward. Instead of mounting the shoes in the curtain-tube, as has been described, they may be mounted as is set forth in the patent to Keelerand Duncan, No. 689,195, December 17, 1901, or, indeed, the shoes may be secured to the curtain in any desired Way.

In order to secure the best operation of a curtain-fixture of this class, it is necessary that the curtain be securely held in any position and that it move up and down readily, while the lower end of the curtain is maintained in all conditions in a horizontal position. As these curtains are ordinarily operated it is very common that the curtain-tube or adjacent parts of the curtain are grasped near one side of the curtain. If the curtain is operated in this manner, it will be evident that there is a tendency to cant the curtain out of horizontal position. This invention relates particularly to means by which this undesirable action is prevented and by which the curtain is self-alining, so as to be maintained at all times in proper engagement with the guideways. To accomplish this result, the ends of the shoes are provided with guide-rolls in engagement with the guideways, which as the shoes are moved in either direction have a varied freedom of movement along the guideways. The guiding member or roll in the forward end or tip of a shoe always has a greater freedom of movement along the guideway than in the trailing or rear tip. If, therefore, the trailing tip of a shoe of this character is raised out of engagement with the guideway, the shoe at once has an increased freedom of movement along the guide way,whileifthetrailingguidingmemberalone is in engagement with the guideway the shoe has a decreased freedom of movement along the guideway. The freedom of movement of the guiding members is automatically varied, so that as soon as the movement of the shoe takes place in either direction the leading tip curtain and the left-hand shoe connected to the same have a tendency to remain in their original position, so that the curtain tends to assume an inclined position. Since, however, the shoes are accurately supported by their spindles in the curtain-tube, as soon as the curtain-tube assumes a slightly-inclined position the left-hand shoe is tilted to such an extent as to remove the upper or trailing guiding member from engagement with the guideway. Then since the lower or leading guiding member has a very much greater freedom of movement along the guideway the left-hand side of the curtain and the shoe attached to the same at once move downward until the curtain once more assumes a horizontal position. The springactuated roll attached to the curtain assists in restoring the curtain-tube to proper position, since as soon as one side of the curtain moves downward a greater upward pull is at once exerted by thespring-roller upon this side of the curtain, which tends to restore the curtain to a proper position. If the righthand side of the curtain is moved in an upward direction, a similar action will take place, since under these conditions the upper guide member of the opposite shoe will be the leading member and will have a greater freedom of movement along the guideway than the lower or trailing guide member. Therefore as soon as the left side of the curtain assumes too low a position, so as to tilt the trailing guide member out of engagement with the guideway, the greater freedom of movement of the leading guide member allows that side of the curtain to move upward until both guide members again come into engagement with the guideway.

It will be understood, of course, that only a very slight canting of the curtain is necessary inorder to sufficiently remove the guide members from their engagement with the guideway to sufficiently vary the freedom of movement of the ends of the curtain so that it is restored to parallel position. A very slight variation in the pressure with which the guide members bear on the guideway is enough to bring about this result, and in consequence the curtain-fixture is self-alining and automatically keeps the lower end of the curtain in horizontal position.

The construction of shoe by which the guiding members or guide-rolls have this varying freedom of movement along the guideway is illustrated in Fig. 2. In this shoe the spindle C is rigidly secured to the channeled casing D. This casing is provided, preferably, at either end of the same with the inclined slots D D these slots, as is indicated in the drawings, converging outwardly and the slots in both sides of the casing being of course similar, so as to properly support both ends of the pivots of the guide-rolls. The shoe is provided with the grips D D which may be integral with the shoe, as indicated, and, furthermore, maybe formed of any desired material to give, the requisite gripping action in connection with the guiderolls. These guide-rolls E E are loosely mounted in these inclined slots, since their rigid pivots E E hold them in the slots, but allow considerable freedom of movement of the guide -rolls with respect to the shoe. These guide-rolls are preferably formed as is indicated in Fig. 3, the tread of the guideroll E being preferably composed of gripping material, such as leather or rubber, so as to grip .the guideway more firmly. This tread is securely mounted between the collars E E, which, as is shown, have screw connection with each other. The pivot E is secured to these collars, so that the roll and pivot form one integral piece. It is not, however, necessary in all cases to construct these guide-rolls as has been described, since, if desired, the guide-roll may be made of a single integral piece E of suitable material, in which the pivot E is preferably rigidly secured.

It is apparent in both forms of construction shown that the pivot is rigidly secured to its guide-roll, so that the guide-roll is provided with an integral or relatively immovable pivot.

In the operation of this self-alining curtainfixture the shoes mounted to reciprocate in the lowerend of the curtain are spring-pressed outward, so that the guide-rolls engage the guideways, and also when the curtain-fixture is stationary the treads of the guide-rolls eugage the shoe, coming into contact with the grips on the shoe. If, however, the curtainfixture is moved so that the shoes are moved along the guideways, the leading guide-roll is at once allowed a greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-roll. If the shoe is moved as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the engagement of the leading roll E with the guideway tends to move the pivot E toward the inner or free end of the slots D so that the tread of this roll tends to move out of engagement with the grip D into the position indicated. It is not necessary, however, that the leading guide-roll shall move entirely out of engagement with the grip in order to allow it an increased freedom of movement along the guideway. The trailing guide-roll, however, is by reason of its engagement with the guideway forced more strongly into engagement with the grip D It is of course apparent that when movement of this shoe takes place in the opposite direction the action of the guide-rolls is reversed, so that the leading guide-roll is always allowed the greater freedom of movement, while the trailing guide-roll is brought in all cases more strongly into engagement with the shoe, so that it is allowed a less freedom of movement.

The inclination of the slots D D may of course be varied considerably, and, furthermore, many other modifications may be made in the proportions and construction of this device Without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of this invention may, furthermore, be employed Without using all of the same, and parts of this invention may be used in connection with other devices in this art. I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the disclosure which I have made in this case; but

What I claim as new, and what I wish to secure by Letters Patent, is set forth in the appended claims:

1. Inaself'aliningcurtain-fixturc,aspringactuated curtain, a curtain-tube secured to said curtain, spring-pressed shoes mounted to reciprocate in said tube to cooperate with guideways, there being inclined outwardlyconverging slots formed in the outer ends of said shoes and guide-rolls having treads of gripping material and relatively immovable pivots loosely mounted in said slots, said shoes being formed with grips adjacent said guide-rolls to be engaged by the same to allow the leading guide-rolls to have a greater freedom of movement than the trailing guiderolls.

2. In aself-aliningcurtain-fixture,acurtain, shoes, means to mount said shoes on said ourtain to reciprocate with relation thereto and to cooperate with guideways, there being inclined outwardly-converging slots formed in the ends of said shoes, guide-rolls having relatively immovable pivots loosely mounted in said slots, said guide-rolls comprising treads of gripping material and clamping-collars on either side of said treads, said shoes being formed with grips adjacent said guide-rolls to be engaged by the same to allow the leading guide-rolls to have greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-rolls.

3. In aself-aliniugcurtain-fixture,a curtain, shoes provided with inclined outwardly-converging slots, means to mount said shoes on said curtain to reciprocate with respect thereto and to cooperate with guideways and guiderolls loosely pivoted in said slots to engage said guideways and said shoes to allow the leading guide-rolls to have greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-rolls.

4. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, there being inclined outwardly-converging slot-s formed in the ends of said shoe and guide-rolls having treads of gripping material and relatively immovable pivots loosely mounted in said slots to engage said guideway and said shoe to allow the leading guide-roll to have greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-roll.

5. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, there being inclined slots formed in the ends of said shoe and guide-rolls having treads of gripping material and pivots loosely mounted in said slots to engage said guideway and grips formed on said shoe to be engaged by said guide-rolls to allow the leading guide-roll to have a greater freedom of movement than the trailing guideroll.

6. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, there being inclined slots formed in the ends of said shoe and guide-rolls having pivots loosely mount ed in said slots to engage said guideway and grips formed on said shoe to be engaged by said guide-rolls to allow the leading guideroll to have a greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-roll.

7. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, there being inclined slots in said shoe, pivoted guide-rolls loosely mounted in said slots to engage said guideway and grips formed on said shoe to be engaged by said guide-rolls to allow the leading guide-roll to have a greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-roll.

8. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, there being inclined slots formed in said shoe and guiderolls loosely pivoted in said slots to engage said guideway and means on said shoe to be engaged by said guide-rolls to allow the leading guide-roll to have a greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-roll.

9. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a shoe provided with inclined slots to cooperate with a guideway and guide-rolls loosely mounted in said slots to engage said guideway and said shoe to allow the leading guide-roll to have a greater freedom of movement than the trailing guide-roll.

- HERBERT E. KEELER.

Witnesses:

HARRY L, DUNCAN, J ESSIE B. KAY. 

